Europe now gets most of its oil from the United States, Norway, Kazakhstan and other non‑Russian suppliers, after rapidly cutting Russian imports since the Ukraine war.

Where does Europe get its oil? (Quick Scoop)

Big picture: Europe = oil importer

Europe (especially the EU) produces some oil in the North Sea (mainly Norway and the UK), but it consumes far more than it produces, so it depends heavily on imports. Most of the oil used in Europe is crude that comes by tanker or pipeline and is then refined in European refineries into diesel, petrol, jet fuel and other products.

Before vs after the Ukraine war

For years, Russia was Europe’s main oil supplier, but that changed very fast.

  • In 2021, Russia supplied about 27% of the EU’s oil.
  • By 2024, Russia’s share of EU oil had dropped to around 3% because of sanctions and embargoes.
  • Europe did not stop using oil; it swapped Russian barrels for barrels from other exporters.

You can think of it like Europe suddenly changing its “favorite gas station” rather than parking all the cars.

Main suppliers today (crude oil)

Recent EU data show who now fills the gap.

Key crude oil suppliers to the EU

[3][5][7] [5][7] [7][5] [3] [3] [3] [7][3] [1][3]
Supplier country Role for Europe
United States Largest single supplier of petroleum oils to the EU, providing about 16–17% of imports in 2024, after replacing Russia as top exporter.
Norway Major crude exporter and close partner; supplied about 13–14% of EU petroleum oils in 2024.
Kazakhstan Rapidly growing source, with roughly 11% of EU petroleum oils in early 2024.
Saudi Arabia Traditional supplier whose share increased after Russian barrels were cut.
Brazil “New map” supplier; its exports to the EU have jumped since sanctions on Russia.
Angola Another newer supplier; monthly exports to the EU increased several‑fold post‑2022.
Iraq and others Additional Middle Eastern and African suppliers help diversify Europe’s oil sources.
Russia (residual) Now only a small fraction of EU oil imports (around 3% by 2024), mainly via remaining exemptions and indirect flows.
In short: where Europe once leaned heavily on Russia, it now leans on the US, Norway, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Angola and others.

What about gas and the wider energy mix?

Oil is only part of Europe’s energy story, but it’s still big.

  • Oil provides roughly one‑third of Europe’s total energy use, ahead of gas, coal, nuclear and renewables.
  • Norway is now Europe’s main pipeline gas supplier, while the United States has become its top liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier.
  • Russian gas has also fallen sharply, but some imports continue, especially LNG and for a few landlocked countries with pipeline exemptions.

This shift shows Europe is diversifying who it buys fossil fuels from, even while trying to expand renewables.

Why this is a trending topic

The question “where does Europe get its oil” keeps popping up in news and forums because it blends geopolitics, climate and everyday life:

  • It affects fuel prices, inflation and transport costs for people and businesses in Europe.
  • It reshapes Europe’s foreign policy ties with the US, Norway, Gulf states and emerging suppliers like Brazil and Angola.
  • It clashes with climate goals: critics say Europe “redrew the oil map” instead of using the crisis to cut oil demand more aggressively.

A common forum argument now is: “Did Europe really become more energy secure, or did it just swap dependence on Russia for dependence on other oil states?”

Quick TL;DR

  • Europe is a net oil importer; most of its oil is imported crude refined domestically.
  • Before 2022, Russia was the biggest supplier (about a quarter of EU oil).
  • After sanctions, Russian oil fell to a tiny share, and Europe turned mainly to the US, Norway, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Angola and others.
  • The energy crisis redrew the “oil map” but did not yet end Europe’s reliance on imported oil.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.